Week in gaming: Dead Rising 2, Star Trek Minecraft, and pushy devs

This week we found out how to make a starship in Minecraft, how not to defend …

Sometimes all it takes is one grand creation to get people interested in a game, and the version of the Enterprise built inside Minecraft grabbed the imagination of the gaming world this week. The video was posted everywhere, and our look inside its creation was easily the most popular story of the week.

We also reviewed Dead Rising 2, we ran more details on the 3DS, and we took a look at some of the odd items those who write about games receive on a routine basis. We also looked at a developer who seemed to think it could bully its way into a better review score. Has that ever worked?

Scared to open the package: adventures in game writer bribery: Those who write about games often get their copies of the game directly from the publisher, but many times the package containing said game contains all manner of other things. We explore some of the odder things sent to the gaming press to promote games, and show some of the coverage that resulted.

The funny side of nihilism: Ars reviews Dead Rising 2: Dead Rising 2 mixes dark satire with a lighter absurdity, tosses in some zombies and skepticism about pharmacology, and then adds a light sauce of frustration and timed gameplay. The result? A good game, and a tortured metaphor.

Accepting the consequences of a life without quick-saves: While modern gaming often offers us a safety net, by refusing to use quick-save as a way to try every outcome until you find the best one, you can add a lot of tension to many games. This is the story of what happened after the decision was made to let our in-game actions stand... no matter what the price.

Hydrophobia developer defends game, attacks critics: The Xbox Live Arcade game Hydrophobia is receiving mixed reviews, and the developer is doing all it can to stop the negative press. The only problem is that it may have become the story, instead of controlling it.

3DS hits Japan on February 26 for $300, comes to US in March: Nintendo has confirmed the Japanese and US release date for the 3DS, as well as the Japanese price: approximately $300. That's not quite as affordable as we had hoped, but the videos of the hardware's features and games go a long way to justify the price.